THE BEST BLACK LICORICE RECIPES

Steps:

• In a large heavy pan melt butter on low-med heat; add sweet cond milk, Karo syrup, sugar and salt.
• Place a candy thermometer on side of pan, be careful to not touch bottom of pan.
• Stirring CONSTANTLY, cook on medium heat to 234 degrees.
• Remove from heat.
• Add Anise extract and black food coloring paste.
• Pour into a buttered 9x13" pan.
• Cool and cut into desired pieces.
• Wrap in wax paper.
• It will be gone before ya know it!
• * This caramel is soft and chewy. If you would like it more firm, cook until about 244 degrees. I find that using the brand Karo for the corn syrup works best, because some of the "off" brands contain water in the ingredients*.

Steps:

• Lightly coat an 8½x4½" loaf pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2" overhang on long sides. Lightly coat parchment with nonstick spray. Cook sugar, sweetened condensed milk, molasses, butter, salt, and 3 Tbsp. water in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring with a heatproof rubber spatula, until sugar is dissolved, butter is melted, and mixture is smooth. Fit saucepan with thermometer and bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly and scraping bottom with spatula to keep mixture from burning, until thermometer registers 246°. Remove pan from heat and stir in anise extract and food coloring, if using, then immediately pour into prepared pan and sprinkle with sea salt. Loosely cover pan with plastic wrap and let sit until caramel is cool and set, at least 2 hours.
• Lift caramel out of pan using parchment overhang. Peel away parchment and cut caramel into a 6x4 grid to make 24 pieces total. Wrap individually in waxed paper or parchment paper.
• Do Ahead: Caramels can be made 2 days ahead. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.